A new commentary by Mumia Abu-Jamal ‘Toy Soldiers’ read by Ron Kovic, author of ‘Born on the Fourth of July.’ Listen HERE

Prison Radio announces that it will continue to record and distribute Mumia Abu-Jamal’s radio essays in the face of State censorship and State sponsored torture. Mumia is being kept in solitary in SCI Mahanoy’s dungeon. Its restrictions and conditions belie its modern construction. The defeat for the State, having to openly declare that Mumia will live, and the fact that they can no longer legally execute Mumia, has meant a severe backlash. After his transfer off of death row, Mumia was thrown in the hole at SCI Mahanoy.
The prison administration excuse that “paperwork” is holding up his transfer to general population in this medium security prison is transparent. The disinformation is part of the strategy to create confusion and disorient. Make no mistake. These conditions are clearly designed torture. They are being enacted to elicit Mumia and our silence.
Mumia Abu-Jamal is being held in extremely repressive conditions. And like thousands of prisoners, residents of solitary confinement and isolation units in every hole in every prison across the country, Mumia is being subject to draconian, dehumanizing and brutal conditions. He is chained in leg, waist and wrist irons, behind Plexiglas during visits. Subject to strip searches before and after visits. Unable to walk freely. Having bits of paper to write notes on, with a rubber flex pen. No shelves, no books. Limited access to new reports, letters delayed. Resitricted visiting. Lights on 24hrs a day. Only one brief phone call to his wife. No access to adequate food or commissary.

Please stay in touch as we bring you more updated information. Contact Noelle Hanrahan for more information. info@prisonradio.org

Toy Soldiers

[col. writ. 12/17/11] (c) ’11 Mumia Abu-Jamal

For Mumia Abu-Jamal, I am Ron Kovic author of Born on the Fourth of July.
According to recent news accounts, shattered and shredded body parts and remains of U.S. servicemen were found in a landfill.
Despite political spins, this sobering image is a telling, true-life metaphor for what those in power really think of soldiers, many of whom are but boys and girls freshly loosed from High School.
In recent years, politicians, especially when on TV or radio talk shows, are apt to say, when addressing a vet, “I thank you for your service.” In truth, this is robot-talk, kind of like when a parrot is trained to say, “Hello!”, and about as meaningful.
The American poet, e.e. cummings once said, “A politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat, except a man.”
John Africa said, “A politician will tell you he wasn’t born of a woman, if it’ll get you to vote for him.”
In these passing years, since 9/11, wars have been fought that have devastated countries, economies, and world peace. Untold thousands have died, many for nothing more, nor less, than American paranoia. Thousands of U.S. soldiers have died defending American lies.
And tens of thousands have returned, bodies, minds, souls shattered by political calculations driven by arrogance, greed and sheer stupidity. Thousands of marriages have ended in divorce because of forced years apart, and families have been broken asunder because some greasy politician wanted to play ‘War-President’ (or Senator, or Representative.)
In a real sense, military body parts tossed into landfills as trash is more than metaphor.
It is truth.
(c) ’11 maj Prison and government officials are trying to censor and silence Mumia Abu-Jamal. I stand as one of many Americans who believe that there is tremendous value in his voice being heard. I am others will fight to make sure that both his voice and his body are free.
Ron Kovic. For Mumia Abu-Jamal.

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Prison Radio’s mission is to challenge unjust police and prosecutorial practices which result in mass incarceration, racism, and gender discrimination by airing the voices of men and women victimized by an unjust criminal justice system. We believe that when a person’s humanity is recognized, the public is able to make more informed choices on the direction of public policy. We do this by bringing their voices into the public dialogue on crime and punishment. Our radio broadcasts help spur the public to examine core issues that create crime and heighten disenfranchisement.
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